Don't Wake Me Up
by Center of the Galaxy
Summary: Buffy gets cut by a demon's blade and starts reliving the memories that the Oracles erased. Convinced that these memories are her reality, Buffy becomes catatonic. Now Angel must go into her mind and show her otherwise. But will she listen? Buffy/Angel
1. Don't Go

_**Author's Note: **__After I watched __**I Will Remember You **__let's just say that I was a little angry. Ok, I was furious and I decided to write a story fixing everything so that our favorite couple would end up together again! There is a song that inspired the title and it's from the anime __**Mew Mew Power **__and the song is called __**Don't Wake Me Up. **__It inspired the title of this story and is a wonderful companion song to this piece. Enough of me babbling though enjoy! _

"And that's all there really is to say."

He looked away from her pure blue eyes and decided it would be best for him to stare at his broken clock. There was shattered glass all over the floor. Funny, he thought. The glass was like his life and now it had been shattered again. His life was broken because of the sacrifice he had made to save her.

"Yeah," He mumbled, trying to suppress the pain that was threatening to consume him. He lifted his gaze from the ground and saw the last wisps of her golden hair whip around the corner.

She was leaving.

He didn't want her to go!

His body acted before his mind could process what was going on. He sprinted out the office and called her name. She turned around though she kept one of her hands firmly placed on the doorknob.

"Yes?"

She looked so frail in his eyes and he could sense the sadness rolling off her body. What right did he have to stop her when he had made the choice to erase her memory? He had chosen and now he would have to live with the consequences. She had to go; he had to let her go.

"Have a safe trip." He finally managed to reply.

Disappointment shone in her eyes, but she smiled anyway though Angel could tell it was a forced one.

"Yeah, thanks." She replied and then she was gone.

As soon as she was out of his line of sight, he punched the nearby wall, breaking it. She was gone and he knew that their moment of bliss had passed—once again. He could hear his heartbeat so clearly in his mind and he could feel her silky, warm hand on his chest. He could taste their sweet kisses on his tongue.

Their moment of bliss did happen. It hadn't been some dream, it had been real! For one glorious day—a full 24 hours—he had been alive and he had been together with his soul mate. It had been a perfect day and he would treasure it forever.

And now it was over.

All that remained were the memories and the pain.

As he headed back to his office, he wished for a brief second that she remembered. He wished that she remembered and that they could overcome the pain and be together. But within a fraction of a second, that wish was gone too. He supposed he probably deserved this punishment. He needed to atone for all the sins he had committed as Angelus. That thought; however, did nothing to ease the pain that he felt. The only things that were keeping him going were the treasured memories and the fact that Buffy would live now. She would live now and be safe.

The pain remained.

He sat down at his desk, not caring about the glass, and sighed. The Powers, he thought, certainly were cruel—cruel enough to let him be human and then even crueler to force him to give it up.

"Buffy," He said her name as if it were a prayer to the only thing keeping him functioning right now.

He heard the door open. Doyle and Cordelia were back. He closed his door in hopes that they would both leave him alone. He just . . . needed time.

_Given enough time we should be able to . . . _

Her voice appeared out of nowhere, but he was glad. At least in his mind, she was still here. And he would never ever . . .

"Forget." He completed. He shut his eyes and knew he needed to do something—anything—to keep himself from thinking about her and what had happened.

Slowly, he got up and opened his door. Turning back towards his desk, he smiled sadly.

"I'll never forget." It was just him that said it, but her as well. He quickly shook his head to dispel the memory. Then, without another word, he left his office pain pounding through his veins.

_**Author's Note: **__Well? Review please! _


	2. Bad Day

_**Author's Note: **__Here's a much longer chapter! Enjoy!_

_So you had a bad day_

_You're taking one down_

_You sing a sad song just to turn it around_

_You say you don't know_

_You tell me don't lie_

_You work at a smile and you go for a ride_

_You had a bad day_

Buffy quickly turned her radio off. She didn't need a song to remind her how crappy her life was at the moment. She could do that herself, thank you very much. She sighed and loosened her grip on the steering wheel. She had come to LA pissed and now she was leaving it pissed. She couldn't believe Angel thought it was ok for him to play the superhero in the shadows and then talk to everyone except her. Who the Hell did he think he was?!

She sighed and wiped her bangs out of her face.

Yes, he had saved her life and she was grateful for that. He had apologized too, so why was she still so angry?

_Maybe, _a voice told her, _you just realize that you're still in love with him and no distance or lack of communication is going to change that._

She didn't want to admit it, but she knew the voice was right. She was still in love with Angel and as much as she wished she could move on, she couldn't. He owned her heart. He was her other half. Without him, she felt so . . . empty.

"Damn it!" She cursed and blasted whatever CD was in her car at the moment as she tried to drown out the thoughts of Angel.

Eventually, she drove past the all too familiar, "Welcome to Sunnydale" sign. She turned off the CD and decided that she needed to vent and then wallow with some ice cream. Scratch that, a lot of ice cream. She pulled into a parking lot and pulled out her cell phone. She quickly punched in Willow's number.

"Buffy?" Buffy almost broke down right there. Willow's voice was so comforting and Buffy just needed to talk to her.

"Will, can we talk?" Buffy wiped a few stray tears away, trying to regain her composure.

"Oh Buffy," She could hear Willow sighing on the line and Buffy knew that she knew. "I'll get the ice cream and meet you back at the dorm."

"Thanks," Buffy smiled. "I just need to . . . vent."

"Don't worry about it!" Willow chirped enthusiastically. "Really it's ok."

"I'll see you in 15?"

"You got it." Willow replied.

"Bye, then." Buffy clicked her phone off, but it instantly rung again. "Hello?"

"Buffy, I'm afraid we've got a problem." Giles' British accent informed her. "Are you done seeing—?"

"Yes," She answered, cutting him off so she wouldn't have to hear his name again. "What's wrong? Are we having another apocalypse?"

Her ex-Watcher sighed and she could just picture him frowning. Her sense of humor was often lost on the older man.

"If we had more time I would reprimand you, but since we don't . . ." His voice trailed off suggestively.

"Fine, I get it. No more fun for Buffy." She felt worry begin to spread in her body. "What's up?"

"It would seem that we have a demon on the loose." All the tension left Buffy as swiftly as it came. Demons, she could handle. Demons were the equivalent of child's play to a Slayer. She could take a demon out in no time flat, no doubt about it.

"Ok, so I find it, take it out, and then we have a party with lots of treats?" She asked hopefully. She wasn't in the mood to go on a quest to deal with some egotistic freak who wanted nothing more to rule the world.

"It isn't that simple," Giles replied. "The demon . . . well, I haven't actually been able to identify it yet."

Shocked silence.

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked cautiously. "How do you even know it's a demon then?"

"Because I've seen the victims," Giles answered. "They look like they were mauled by a bear and their blood clearly hadn't been drained."

"So," Buffy interjected. "All we know is that there is a demon on the loose and that's it?"

"Until I get more information," Giles began. "That's it."

Buffy sighed and reclined back into her seat. This was shaping up to be a long and boring night, but at least it would serve as a good distraction from her . . . well, her boy problems. After a moment, she placed the phone back by her ear.

"So, you want me to be a good little slayer and go take it out?"

"Well . . ." Giles began uncertainly.

"Well?" Buffy prompted.

"I'm going with you to the cemetery."

"What?" Buffy questioned.

"I need a picture of the demon before you kill it and you aren't renowned for observing first, killing later." She heard objects shuffling in the background.

"You're going?" Buffy repeated.

"Yes," He answered adamantly. Buffy opened her mouth to protest, but she could tell by Giles' tone that there was no room to argue.

"Fine," She mumbled.

"Bye."

Buffy shut her phone and sighed. Things were certainly picking up on what she had thought would be a slow night. At least it would serve as a good distraction and a way for her to vent her frustrations. She pulled out of the parking lot and started heading towards Sunnydale's cemetery, but the little voice in her head began to speak once more.

_Your body may be here, but your heart is in LA. _

And Buffy couldn't agree more.

_**Author's Note: **__Things are starting to get interesting! Next chapter, we'll see how Angel is doing. Review please! _


	3. Lie to Me

_**Author's Note: **__Poor Angel . . . enjoy!_

He didn't want to do this right now.

He didn't want to deal with Doyle or Cordelia. He didn't want them to ask him what had happened or why she had left. He didn't want to hear Cordelia say 'I told you so' or see Doyle frowning in disapproval. All he really wanted was to hide out here until night fell when he could wander aimlessly.

"Angel!" Cordelia's energetic voice greeted and he cringed. He didn't need this right now, especially after what he had been through. God, he knew it would hurt, but he hadn't known that it would hurt this much. Why did it feel like his heart had been cut from his chest?

Cordelia's hand on his shoulder forced him to look at her. She and Doyle were holding coffee and he could tell Doyle was a little perplexed at why his office was in shambles. Cordelia, on the other hand, seemed smug as she saw his office. She smirked at Angel.

"Is Buffy gone?" Doyle asked. Angel nearly cringed at the sound of her name. It was gonna take a while for him to be able to even think her name without pain, let alone hear it.

"Yeah," Angel replied shakily. "She just left." Cordelia went into his office and sighed.

"Still not picking up after herself, I see." She informed them. She then moved to fix Angel's clock when he pulled her back. "What?"

"Don't clean," He ordered, growling at her. This mess was one of the few things reminding him that they had been together. This mess proved that this whole thing had been real and he would clean it up when he was ready to.

"Jeez, chill!" Cordelia snapped. "What's wrong with you?" A look of horror crossed her eyes. "Oh God! You and Buffy—you didn't . . . you know?" A memory flashed in his mind of he and Buffy lying together in his bed, content. Her warm body combined with the beat of his heart made it a perfect moment.

And now it was over. Gone. Forever. A feeling of pain overwhelmed him and he pushed Cordelia out of his office and into Doyle. Angel glared at her, unbridled fury in his eyes.

"Stop talking," Angel hissed and Cordelia cringed in fear. "Just shut up!" A flash of hurt and anger flashed in Cordelia's eyes.

"I don't know what your deal is," Cordelia started, her anger giving her courage. "But you just can't take it out on us!" An inch was separating her from him and she seemed to get more strength with every word she spoke.

"Cordelia," Doyle cautioned.

"No!" She snapped. "He needs to hear this." Cordelia put her hands on her hips and smirked, a habit she had used in high school to force people to understand her needs. "Buffy is gone, ok? You left her." Angel flinched. He had left her, but it had been for her own good! Or so he kept telling himself. "Because you did that, you can't just go all jerky on us whenever she leaves!"

"Cordelia," Doyle interjected. "Stop."

"Why should I?" She spat. "It's his fault!" Her words rang true in his head. It was his fault; Cordelia was right. Pain swelled in his chest. He let out a growl and without even thinking, switched into his game face.

"Leave," He hissed and Cordelia took a cautionary step back. "Now!" Doyle stepped in-between the two trying to diffuse the situation, but Cordelia sprinted out the door.

"I'll get her," Doyle sighed as he ran after her.

The door slammed shut and Angel reverted back to normal. He would apologize to her later, but right now he just needed to think. Was leaving Buffy a mistake? Should he have stayed with her? Was erasing her memories the right choice? As he sat down in his office chair, he wondered if all the doubts would go away and things would go back to normal.

He doubted it.

_**Author's Note: **__Next chapter, Buffy and Giles meet the demon. Review please!_


	4. Demon Hunting

_**Author's Note: **__Enjoy this super long chapter!_

Buffy slammed her car door and unzipped her white sweat jacket. Sighing, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and scanned the area for any of the things that go bump in the night. Satisfied that the outside of the cemetery was safe, Buffy headed in.

"Giles!" She called into the dark abyss.

"Here!" His familiar British voice shouted back.

She smiled. Even though she felt pathetic right now, hearing Giles' safe voice made her feel much better. Over the past four years, he had become like a father to her. He had protected her, comforted her, and cared for. He had even quit his job from the Watcher's Council to help her more. He was the only person in her life, besides her mother, who had stayed with her through it all and she loved him for that.

As she turned the corner, she could see him fiddling with his digital camera. He was muttering British obscenities as he kept pushing button after button trying to make it work. Smiling, she took the camera out of his hands and turned it on. She then handed it back to him and pointed to the button on the side.

"Hit that when you want to take a picture." Giles nodded and then adjusted his glasses, something that Buffy had grown so accustomed to.

"Ah, thank you."

"No prob." Buffy pulled out a state from her pocket and handed it to him, but he held out his hand.

"I have some already, thank you." The stake stealthily slipped back into her pocket. The two began to patrol, something that Buffy had also come accustomed to. "So, how was Angel?"

She didn't answer and increased her pace.

"I trust he was able to tell you why we were unable to tell you why he was here?" The Watcher waited for a response, but got none. Sighing, he tried to keep up her pace and then added softly: "I'm sorry that I hid the fact that Angel was here, but he—and all of us—were just trying to keep you safe. He was worried Buffy, and he did what he thought was right."

Buffy spun around then, furry flashing in her eyes.

"Drop it, Giles," She hissed. "I don't want to talk about it."

"But Buffy—!"

"Stop!" She growled. Her ex-Watcher's face fell and a pang of guilt ran through her. Placing a hand on his shoulder, she smiled sadly. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, Giles and I do forgive you for hiding the truth from me." Before he could reply, the two heard a noise in the distance and a scream. Sprinting, Buffy pulled out her stake, but stopped when she saw that it wasn't a vampire causing the commotion. She motioned for Giles to come closer. "I do believe we've found your demon."

Giles stifled a gasp when he saw the demon was actually in the guise of a beautiful young woman. Her raven colored hair flowed gracefully to the middle of her back. Her skin was sun kissed and she was wearing a gorgeous white dress which had traces of the blood on it. In front of her was a body of a young man with an arm ripped off and in the demon's hand.

"She's eating it." Giles remarked as he pulled out the camera. It clicked and then, unfortunately flashed.

Giles didn't have time to process what happened next because it was too fast.

The demon spun around and Giles saw that her face was painfully beautiful. Her sea-blue eyes seemed to pierce directly into his soul. He only saw her true nature as she hissed and showed her huge fangs. She charged and Giles knew he was toast.

Buffy moved quickly and intercepted the demon's attack. Surprised, the demon took a step back.

"Slayer?" It questioned in a melodious voice. To Buffy, it sounded way too sweet. The Slayer smirked and twirled the stake in her hand. She was actually glad she would get to work off some of her frustration about Angel. For once, being the Slayer didn't seem so bad.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." They began to circle each other, an evil grin on the demon's face.

"I was hoping we'd run into each other," She told Buffy. "Seems you got the locals completely terrified of you."

"Well, that kinda comes with the job description." Buffy answered sarcastically.

"It'll be an honor to kill you."

The circling stopped.

"I hate to break it to you," Buffy began, bracing herself for attack. "But you're the one who is going to be killed."

"Well—"

"Can we stop with the talking?" Buffy asked tiredly. "I kinda would like to kill you and then soak in a long nice hot bath."

The demon laughed dryly.

"Then, by all mean, let's do this."

The demon charged and Buffy barely managed to block. This demon was fast that was for sure. Before the demon could strike again, Buffy punched her in the stomach. She followed that up with a kick and another punch to the face. The demon staggered back and Buffy was about to throw another punch when the demon's hand caught it. She began to close her hand around it, trying to crush Buffy's hand. Buffy managed to free herself, but was tossed into a tombstone.

"Is that all you got?" The demon asked as Buffy stood up. She wiped some blood off of her lip and dusted herself off. She motioned for Giles to hide behind the tombstone and he grudgingly obliged. Buffy smirked at the demon as she cracked her arm.

"What?" Buffy questioned. "You tired already?" Buffy could just Giles frowning at her for deliberately provoking the demon, but she didn't care. This fight was letting her get out all her frustrations about Angel.

"You sure are an interesting girl, Slayer," The demon held her hand out and the light shimmered. "But I'm getting tired." The shimmering stopped and a sword was now in her hand.

She attacked and Buffy quickly dodged. They repeated this pattern for the next five minutes until Giles stood up and the demon instantly focused on him. Buffy sprinted and her reaction was like lightning. She pushed Giles out of the way as the blade stabbed her side.

"Buffy!" Giles yelled.

The sword glowed neon green and Buffy grunted as she pulled the weapon out.

"A sword," She began to cough. "Is the best you can do?"

The demon smirked and had all knowing look in her eyes which was really pissing Buffy out. She summoned up all her strength and cut the demon's head off. The moment the head hit the ground, the body disappeared. Giles ran over to Buffy. He was confused, but alright and he turned all his attention to his wounded Slayer.

"Buffy, are you ok?" The ex-watcher tried to have her sit because he could see how much she was bleeding and standing was probably not a good thing for her at the moment.

"Guess she lost her head," Buffy muttered. "God, that was a really bad pun."

And with that, Buffy Summers collapsed.

_**Author's Note: **__Review please! _


	5. Darkness

_**Author's Note: **__Drama begins now! Enjoy! _

Buffy Summers was no stranger to being in the dark. She was used to it. In fact, her job as the Slayer had prepared her for the fact that darkness would always be a part of her life. So, she wasn't surprised to wake up with darkness encompassing her. What did surprise her; however, was the fact that the darkness felt so familiar. It wasn't cold, but warm and comforting. She could get used to this place.

And that thought in itself was disturbing.

"Hello?" She cautiously called out. Her voice echoed through the pitch black space. She reached for a stake or any other weapon she could use to defend herself, but soon found that she didn't have any. "Crap . . ." Buffy had figured out in her years of being a Slayer that being all alone in a creepy, deserted place and having no weapon made you vulnerable—something she couldn't afford. She was about to call out once more when something compelled her to stop. Light was beginning to reveal itself and the Slayer readied herself for whatever was coming.

"Do you want to know?" A melodious voice questioned. It sounded oddly familiar to Buffy, but she couldn't place it. "Do you wish to regain what was taken from you?"

"Excuse me?" Buffy questioned. "I haven't lost anything."

"A day of peace taken," The voice continued. Buffy then began to notice that the light was beginning to form a picture of something. Buffy squinted and tried to make out what was there. "See. Remember."

Buffy could now make out two figures, a man and a woman, who were fighting something that looked like an oversized green ninja. As she kept staring at the image, it became clearer—almost as if someone had adjusted the focus on the camera. Buffy gasped as she realized who the two figures were—her and Angel!

"What . . . what kind of trick is this?" The Slayer snapped angrily.

"Surely, you must remember something about this." The voice insisted.

"I don't!" Buffy protested. The fight sequence was now fading and Buffy was desperately trying to figure out why she was in it. She had seen that demon before when she had visited Angel after Thanksgiving, but he had defeated. She hadn't been involved. But, the image seemed so real. She felt like she had been there, helping Angel.

"Remember Slayer," The woman's beautiful voice urged. "Regain what was taken from you."

Buffy shook her head furiously. What was going on here? Her mind was pounding and Buffy swore that her head was going to explode. Flashes of images filled her head, and while she couldn't see all of them clearly, the Slayer could definitely see that she and Angel were in all of the images. But, Buffy didn't remember doing anything in the images. Was this a trick or had she actually forgotten something? Darkness engulfed her once more and she fell into the deep abyss.

"Buffy?" Her eyes jolted open as she saw her Watcher trying to get her securely into his car. "Buffy, it's going to be ok."

Her mind was all jumbled. Was that whole thing a dream?

"The dream was so real," She muttered. Giles was saying something to her, but Buffy couldn't hear it. She was aware of a pain in her side, but all she could focus on was Angel.

As her eyes closed, Buffy wished for another dream to come.

_**Author's Note: **__As always review please! _


	6. Dreaming with a Broken Heart

_**Author's Note: **__Wow, the response from the last chapter was amazing! Thanks for all the kind words! This chapter is one of my favorites. Please enjoy! _

Buffy was exhausted. Her body was sore and she felt like she had been run over by a car—which, in her line of work, was all too possible. With her body in such pain, Buffy was glad that she was lying on what felt like fluff filled cushions.

"Buffy?" The Slayer opened her eyes to see Willow anxiously hovering above her. The concern on Willow's face melted into relief as she met Buffy's gaze.

"Will?" Buffy chocked out in a harsh voice and Willow instantly handed her a glass of water. Buffy placed the glass to her lips and took a sip. The cool liquid cascaded down her parched throat. It was during this that Buffy realized that she wasn't in the dorm or in a hospital, which is where she should probably be right now. "Where—?"

"You're at Giles' apartment," The Wicca explained. "He brought you here to recover after that demon stabbed you." Buffy dimly remembered a sword penetrating her skin and the fall of that sick demon's head. "Your wound is closed—that's why you didn't need to go to the hospital—but you still need to rest."

"Where's Giles?" Buffy questioned, placing the glass of water on the hardwood table.

"Out patrolling with Xander," Willow explained. Her expression then returned back to one full of concern. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Buffy mumbled.

"Then sleep!" Willow urged. "Rest because we've got you covered."

"Kay," Buffy yawned. Sleep was sounding really good about now. The Slayer's eyes began to shut and soon Buffy found herself outside. The sky was a brilliant blue and the sun was shining down on her. The wind gently rustled through some trees and the sea completed the melody with the waves hitting the sand. It felt like a perfect day and Buffy couldn't help, but think that she had been here before in this exact same spot. But, that was impossible right? She didn't even know what town this was! How could she have been here before? Buffy sighed and then turned around where shade covered a lot of the ground. Suddenly, out of the shadows, Angel appeared! Buffy waited for him to stop in the shade so that they could talk, but he kept going.

Buffy realized with a start that he was walking towards the sunlight!

She tried to scream his name to try to save him, but nothing would leave her lips. She couldn't even move towards him. Fear consumed her as he kept moving towards the light. He was going to die and Buffy would have to see it. She had never wanted this day to come! Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes, but somehow Buffy managed to remain calm.

Then suddenly, he was in the sunlight and Buffy saw that he was very much alive. The light seemed to make him live up to his name. His eyes practically sparkled and the sun made him look almost heroic. Buffy could feel herself falling in love with him all over again. But, he was in the sun and alive. What did that mean then? Her questioned was never voiced because Angel was soon kissing her.

And Buffy had never felt so complete.

He reluctantly pulled back when they both remembered that breathing was pretty vital. His eyes met hers and Buffy felt like she was floating on air. She wondered how she had managed to survive him leaving town. Ever since he had left, part of her heart had remained cold. She had cried for what seemed like an eternity and she had honestly felt numb. Now, being back with him, she felt free and happy again.

"How?" She mumbled, thought at this point she really didn't care.

And then he said the most important two words ever.

"I'm human," He informed her with a smile. "I'm human, Buffy!" She kissed him once more and felt like finally something good was happening to her. She had done so much for other s and had gotten so little and now it finally felt like the Powers that Be were granting her wish.

This guardian angel was hers once more.

_**Author's Note: **__Review please! _


	7. Understanding

Angel was still pissed by the time Doyle was able to get Cordelia back into the office. Still, even if he was upset, he knew she was right. He had no right to make others feel as bad as he did. He loved Buffy and he had made the decision to erase her memories. It had been his choice when it all came down to it and he knew that hurting the others around him was not the smartest move.

"Cordelia," Angel paused, unsure of what to say to her to make things better between them. He had snapped just because she had said the words that he didn't want to hear. She had told him the truth—something that needed to be said. Apologizing wasn't his thing. He sucked at it and he never knew what to say to make things right between people, especially people that he cared about. He met Cordelia in the eyes, sighed, and prepared to speak when she said:

"I know." He felt startled even more so when she smiled at him.

"Cordy, what—?" She took a seat in one of his chairs and placed a hand on his shoulder. It occurred to the vampire with a soul that she was trying to comfort him. My, how far she had come in such a short amount of time. Back in Sunnydale, Cordelia was such a bitch and now she was caring. True, she still had that bitchy undercurrent, but she was learning that there was more to life than herself.

"I know how important she is to you," Cordelia muttered as she kept beaming. "I understand why you would be upset."

The guilt was still there.

"I shouldn't have snapped at you." Angel confessed, hanging his head in shame.

"No you shouldn't," She agreed. She placed a warm hand on his chin and forced him to look up at her. "But you love her, right? Everyone should be entitled to becoming a jerk if it's for love." She was beaming now and Angel felt less guilty and calmer. He could hear the truth in her words and he knew that she understood.

"Are we . . ." He hesitated, unsure of how to make sure that their friendship hadn't been damaged.

"Cool?" She questioned and he nodded. "Yeah, of course." She got up and surveyed the damaged room once more and then sighed. "Angel?"

"Hmm?" He could tell there was something that she wanted to say but was unsure if she should. Could it be something about Buffy? Was she going to complain about the room? What did she want to say?

"Never mind."

And with that Cordelia Chase walked out of the room leaving behind a mess and one confused vampire. Angel figured that it must've had something to do with Buffy and he was a little relieved that she had chosen not to say anything about it. He loved Buffy and he had to keep reassuring himself that what he did was for the best.

This was for the—

The door flung open as Cordelia ran in, out of breath. Angel could tell from the scared look on her face what it was about—Doyle was having another vision. He jumped out of the chair and quickly flew down the hall to where Doyle had collapsed onto the floor and was clutching his head.

"Doyle!" Angel exclaimed as Cordelia pulled him up from the floor. He worried about his friend because the visions were getting worse and worse. It would only be a matter of time before the visions caused some permanent harm to the man and Angel wasn't sure if he could handle having another friend hurt. The screams stopped and Doyle met Angel's inquiring gaze.

"What did you see?" Cordelia anxiously asked. Doyle took some breaths in, trying to steady his climbing heart rate before finally uttering something that Angel will never forget.

"Angel," Doyle began in a shaky voice. "You have to get to Sunnydale."


	8. Waking

Angel was holding her and for once, she didn't feel cold skin beneath her touch. She felt warm skin and as she leaned down to place her ear on his bare chest, she heard the best sound in the world—his heartbeat. He was alive! He was alive and now there was nothing standing in-between them being together.

"I love you." He told her, pulling her down for another kiss. Warm lips touched hers.

"I love you too," She murmured. "Can we just stay like this forever?" He laughed and laid her down on his chest, placing her ear so she could hear his heartbeat.

"Why not?" He asked with a grin.

"Can we . . ." Buffy hesitated, unsure of what to say to him. There was nothing that could keep them apart now, but were they going to stay together? What about her slayer duties and his agency here in LA? "How is this going to work?" He saw the concern on her face and placed his two hands on both sides of her face and met her gaze.

"Buffy," She loved the way he said her name, like it was the only thing keeping him alive. "I love you and you love me and the rest will work out, ok?" She smiled and nodded.

"Ok."

"Good, now come here." He pulled her face closer to his and right when they were about to kiss, he vanished. She was left alone in the bedroom and she frantically looked around for her beloved.

"Angel!" Buffy called, her voice becoming frantic. "Angel!"

And soon she was back to standing all alone in the dark vortex. There were more images flashing before her. She saw her and Angel making out, talking, and eating ice cream. Buffy grabbed her head, trying to figure out what was real and what was a dream. Had she been doing all that stuff? Why did it feel so real to her?

"Do you know yet, Slayer?" It was that voice—that damn voice had put her here the last time.

"Do I know what?" Buffy snapped.

"If these pictures are memories or not." Buffy saw more of her and Angel discussing their future and eating more food together. It was becoming painful to watch and her head felt like an ax was splitting it open.

"They . . ." The Slayer hesitated, unsure of what to say. Had she been there doing this or was this just some trick? What was the truth? "I don't know."

"Do you wish them to be true?"

"Yes!" Buffy couldn't believe she had just said that. She needed to keep herself in control here. If they were true, Angel would've remembered too or told her. Yeah, this was just a trick. It had to be a trick because if it was real, Buffy didn't want to wake up to reality.

"Buffy?" There was another voice, quieter and familiar.

"Damn," The melodious one cursed. "It seems the real world is trying to intrude."

"Buffy, wake up." Buffy recognized it as Willow.

"Will?" She questioned, trying to find her best friend's voice.

"It is a shame that will have to end our session now," The voice sighed. "But maybe next time, you'll finally remember."

"I haven't forgotten anything!" Buffy challenged, but it was met with a laugh.

"Sure you haven't," It replied. "Until later, Slayer."

And that's when Buffy's eyes flashed opened.


	9. The Waiting Game

_**Author**_ 's _**Note: **__Poor Angel! Enjoy! _

Angel couldn't process what Doyle said at first. He was just shocked. The last time he had went to Sunnydale, Buffy had almost died and then she came here pissed of f and had her memories erased. Still, he knew he would go—he had to go! This was Buffy that they were talking about and if Doyle had seen her in danger then he would go to her.

"What did you see?" Angel asked quietly as Cordelia helped Doyle to a chair. Sighing, Doyle rubbed his temples.

"It was Buffy," Angel knew that, just by the look Doyle had in his eyes when he had told him to get to Sunnydale. "She was patrolling with some redhead chick." Willow, Angel silently noted. Willow patrolling? That was odd . . . unless something had changed with Willow. Still, he didn't exactly recall anything being different with Willow when he had last visited. He would have to look into that.

"And then?" Angel urged and Cordelia shot him a glare as she handed an icepack to Doyle who gratefully accepted it. Angel knew he should be a little more understanding since Doyle's visions took an incredible toll on the man, but this was Buffy they were talking about! His soul-mate, his one and only, his beloved, his everything!

"Buffy collapsed and wouldn't wake up," Angel felt his eyes open. Buffy collapse? That could never happen unless something serious was going on. He had to go to her to make sure she was alright. "And Angel?"

"Yeah?" He asked quickly, wanting to get moving to Sunnydale.

"Whatever is messing with the Slayer will prevent you from leaving until its work has been fulfilled." Angel heard the nearby wooden table break, but didn't realize he had done it until he saw his fist covered with wooden shards. Damn, this was not good. Something bigger was toying with him and the Slayer.

"What do you mean?" Angel growled. "Why would the Powers send you a vision if I can't go and help?"

"Look," Doyle said in a clipped tone. "All I'm saying is you can't go anywhere until Buffy collapses which is when this dark power thinks it has won. Until this happens, we're all stuck here."

"Dammit," Angel growled as he paced the room. This couldn't be happening. He felt so helpless! There had to be something he could do! Picking up the phone, he decided to try and call her.

"Hello?" It was Willow, yawning and Angel sighed. She could tell Buffy.

"Willow, it's Angel."

"Hello? Anyone there?" Angel growled. This stupid dark force was screwing up the phones too!

"Willow, can you hear me?"

She hung up and Angel sighed. He was trapped until his beloved was supposedly doomed. He needed to help her! But for now, they would just have to play the waiting game.

He hated that game.

_**Author's Note: **__Drama coming up soon! Please review! _


	10. All Hell Breaks Loose

_**Author's Note: **__Happy holidays everyone! I really love this chapter because it finally gets the ball rolling. Please enjoy! _

Buffy felt like she had just been cast out of paradise.

As she opened her eyes to face her dim reality, she realized that real or not, she liked being with Angel. Hell, she loved Angel and these dreams felt so real. They were such perfect imitations that Buffy was tempted into just going to sleep and never waking up again.

"Hey," Willow mumbled quietly as the Slayer sat up slowly. "I'm sorry to wake you up, but we kind of have a situation here." For a few seconds, Buffy felt nothing but pure hatred to her so called best friend. How dare she ruin her perfect moment? Buffy had always worked for others, but had never gotten anything in return. Why did she have to keep slaving away for people who would just die anyway? What was the point?

_What is the point, Slayer? Why must you always suffer? _

Buffy nodded in agreement with the melodious voice. She didn't want to suffer anymore. She just wanted to go back to sleep and be with her lover. Didn't she deserve it? Did the Power that Be not think she was worthy of a little respite?

_You deserve to be with him, Slayer,_ the voice whispered, _Come back to him._

"Hey, Buffy?" The witch snapped her fingers in front of her best friend's face, snapping Buffy out of her reverie.

"Oh, sorry," Buffy whispered, running a hand through her blonde hair. "Is something wrong?" Willow nodded and sat down in a nearby chair.

"Giles and Xander have run into a group of vampires on the east side of Sunnydale and won't be able to cover the other half," Willow sighed, almost as if she regretted what she was about to say next. "I was thinking that we should go help them out, but only if you're up to it."

"Let's go," Buffy tossed the covers off of her and welcomed the chance to beat someone up. Her mind was feeling so odd lately and she felt so mixed up. What was real and what wasn't?

They arrived at the cemetery in about five minutes and were out patrolling in six minutes. So far, all had been quiet, but Buffy couldn't help but feel that something bad was going to happen.

"Wow, it's pretty dead out here," Willow told her and Buffy nodded. "But, that's good, right?"

Another nod.

_Why don't you join him once more, Slayer? Why live in this cruel world where you must be apart? _

There it was again—the voice that was making her feel so confused. She loved Angel, but they needed to be apart. After Angel went all evil—

_He's human here. He loves you and will be with you for an eternity._

Angel human? It was just too good to be true . . . and yet, it was just so tempting. She could be with him and feel his heart beat and eat food with him and go out into the sunlight with him. She could do so much with him and best of all, they could be together.

_Together forever. Doesn't that sound nice?_

It sounded so nice. So wonderfully, perfectly nice.

_Then come to him, Buffy. He's here. Come and be with him._

Buffy nodded and slowly shut her eyes. When Willow turned around after hearing a thud, she found her best friend unconscious on the ground.

In Los Angeles, a door finally opened and a warrior began his trek to be his true love's side, unaware of what was happening to her.

_**Author's Note: **__Please review! _


	11. Sleeping Beauty

_**Author's Note: **__Has it been over six months? I am so sorry for the long delay! Please enjoy! _

"I don't understand how this could happen," Willow muttered, as she glanced over the unconscious form of her best friend. "I thought her super healing powers would—"

"They should've," Giles muttered, taking his glasses off and cleaning off—a motion that meant he was clearly stressed. "Buffy should be okay."

"And yet, she's not," Xander told them darkly. "Why the hell would you even think of taking her with you to patrol?"

"I'm sorry!" Willow shouted, tears forming in her eyes. "I know, it's my fault and I'm so sorry!" She began to sob quietly and Giles sighed.

"Oh, Will, look, I'm sorry," Xander mumbled as he placed a hand on her shoulder. The redhead met his gaze and he embraced her. "It's not your fault."

"Indeed," Giles agreed. He tried to keep his eyes from gazing at Buffy's sleeping form. It hurt him to see the girl he considered his own daughter injured and know that he was powerless to help her. He had already been all of the books he kept at his apartment and nothing mentioned anything about the demon that he and Buffy had fought. "Blaming ourselves won't help Buffy."

Even though Giles did blame himself for Buffy's condition.

He should've been quicker or more alert or something! He should've been able to prevent this from happening. He knelt down by the couch that they had laid Buffy on. She was resting peacefully—her eyes shut and the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed looked almost graceful. Buffy reminded him of that fairy tale, _Sleeping Beauty_ for even in her unconscious form, she was no less lovely. If only the way to save Buffy was as easy that fairy tale—he let his hand move a strand of her golden hair from her face and then frowned as his skin came in contact with hers.

She was burning up.

"Willow, get me a damp rag," The witch quickly vanished. "And Xander some ice!" Moments later, both returned with the items requested of them. Giles took a piece of the ice and gently moved it over Buffy's flaming skin—it melted within seconds. Alarmed, Giles tried with another ice cube only for it to melt just as fast.

"Giles, how could she have a fever?" Willow asked cautiously.

"I don't know," The former Watcher confessed. "I need to go get some more books and call up some old colleges of mine. Perhaps, they can identify who this demon was and why Buffy is in this state." He reached for his car keys, but Xander grabbed them first.

"I'll go," He said gently. "I need to get some air anyway." Giles met his gaze and nodded his head as Xander left. Turning around, he saw Willow had taken his place by Buffy's side and was now wrapping ice cubes in the wet cloth.

"It's going to be okay," Willow soothed her best friend, gently dabbing the cloth on her head. "We're going to save you, Buffy." Giles nodded his head in silent agreement as he reached for the phone.

Hopefully, someone had the answers he so desperately needed.

_**Author's Note: **__Review please! _


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